Junie - NOT a morning person

BTS pics from Beauty and the Beast

Death of the Messiah Volume 2

A couple of days ago I finished Raymond Brown's "The Death of the Messiah, From Gethsemane to the Grave, Volume 2: A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels". It is a textual criticism that takes the PN's and dissects the language, translation, textual context, verisimilitude and historicity of each verse. An exhaustive scholarly work of over 1500 pages, I resorted to using multiple colors of highlighters to keep the information straight. It exhausted me mentally, and I am proud to say I finished it. A great work by a great scholar. Grade: A+

Ducks at the Park

A TV kinda day

After a rough Wed, Thurs was pretty good. I spent the morning running errands, then watched "Sale of the Century", "Press Your Luck and "Psych" with Lisa, slept a bit, then walked home from school with Junie (the 3rd walk this week). I watched the newest Dr. Who, then cleaned out a corner of the basement that had taken in water during last weeks flooding here in Milwaukee. Then dinner, an hour nap, and off to work.

Junie and the hot rod

An Update on Lu

LuLu went back to school today for the 1st time since her tonsillectomy, but called and asked us to pick her up half an hour ago. Her body isn't handling it as well as YaYa did, but don't get the wrong idea: she's not being mollycoddled and isn't miking it. We'll evaluate the rest of the week as we go.

Fulton Sheen - Quote

“It is not hatred that is wrong, it is hating the wrong thing that is wrong. It is not anger that is wrong, it is being angry at the wrong thing that is wrong. Tell me your enemy, and I will tell you what you are. Tell me your hatred, and I will tell you your character. Do you hate religion? Then your conscience bothers you. Do you hate the wealthy? Then you are avaricious, and you want to be wealthy. Do you hate sin? Then you love God. Do you hate your hate, your selfishness, your quick temper, your wickedness? Then you are a good soul, for ‘if any man come to me… and hate not his own life, he cannot be my disciple’ Luke 14:26” 

- Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Quote of the Day

Lisa:  I'm going to go check  Facebook. 

Me: Why? Don't you want to watch the movie? 

Lisa: Go ahead and start it. I'll only be a minute. I haven't checked Facebook in a week. 

Me: Then you're gonna need more than a minute. I probably have 60 posts on there.

Lisa: Oh, I don't read your stuff.

Me [aghast]: Whattaya mean you don't read my posts? 

Lisa: It's all books and boring junk. I don't want to read that nerdy s**t. 

It sounds odd, but Reese Witherspoon looks hot in her booking photo. She looks gorgeous with dark hair.

Junie breaks the iconic popsicle house

In the week before his death my Grandpa and I began to build a house out of popsicle sticks; I wrote of this in "Little Grandpa". I've had that house for thirty years. Today I found it smashed and half-missing on the floor of Lauren's room. To say I am upset is an understatement, but OTOH, the existence of that book makes the loss less biting, as the physical mementos are less important in its wake. But still . . . . damn it.

Junie isn't a morning person LOL

Went for a nice walk with Smiley (~2 miles) then settled in at home in my PJ's to enjoy the rest of my Sunday in peace. Naturally, this would be the time YaYa  decides to introduce us to her friend's Mother, who stops by to chat while I look like a freak. Stupid fuzzy footed pajamas %^%$@$. I kid, I kid - they weren't fuzzy.

The Laws of Yahtzee

1. Full-sheet #Yahtzee games are the bomb. Single game hands are for wimps and children.

   
   

   
   

   They [ones] count #YahtzeeLaws

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   •  Reply 
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2. Dan ‏@ki15h

   All full houses, accepted or not, must be greeted by calls of "Full Hooowwwwse" by your opponents #YahtzeeLaws

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3. Dan ‏@i15h

   They'll kill you in Vegas for that #YahtzeeLaws #grandmakohn

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4. Dan ‏@nski15h

   I'll take that full house - and i won't feel bad about it #YahtzeeLaws

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5. Dan ‏@ski15h

   Two's are hot #YahtzeeLaws

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6. Dan ‏@ki15h

   that's a lot of pips #YahtzeeLaws

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7. Dan ‏@ski15h

   Take it [full house] when it's offered #YahtzeeLaws

   
   

   1. Dan ‏@i14h

      It is permissible, even encouraged, 2 cuss at or berate an opponent's Yahtzee, but it *must* b followed by insincere congrats #YahtzeeLaws

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   2. Dan ‏@ynski14h

      Secure your top #YahtzeeLaws

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   3. Dan ‏@ski14h

      Talk to the dice. It helps. They like attention. #YahtzeeLaws

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   4. Dan ‏@nski14h

      Never waste ur 3rd roll trying 2 finish off a lg straight, unless u've got the small on the table & r content 2 settle for it. #YahtzeeLaws

      
      

      An open ended [ 2-5] attempt at a large straight is a beautiful thing to see on a first roll.

Fantasy Baseball

 You want bad luck? Drafted Chad Billingsley, set to start today, just to make the arbitrary and fascist innings pitched minimum in my fantasy league: he promptly went on the DL.

Obviously

Full-sheet #Yahtzee games are the bomb. Single game hands are for wimps and children.

Designing Smiley's 1st Communion Candle

 

Smiley's new haircut

 

Rupert

Rupert from Survivor fame is now following my Twitter feed. I'm honored - and nervous.

Some Houses in the Neighborhood

On our walks home from school - which are more and more frequent - we pass many beautiful houses. Here's a few of our favorites. 

The first one here is the one Lisa wants me to buy her if I ever win the lottery. 

This next one is off the beaten track (for our walk) but it is GORGEOUS

Finally, my favorite. It has no backyard to speak of and I would miss a porch to read on, but my word is it exquisite. I love this house.

What an Honor!!

The epic Tweet the writers from Psych sent LuLu today as she had her tonsils out!

LuLu's Tonsillectomy

Smiley in a religious play

 Are you on Twitter? Follow me there @DanSlapczynski

Pat Summerall

 RIP Pat Summerall, age 82.

There's a "United We Stand" banner featuring both the Yankee and Sox logos on Yankee Stadium right now . . . "How 'bout them Yankees...Class act. They'll honor Boston tonight with a moment of silence & Fenway favorite "Sweet Caroline" at end of the 3rd." Ya done me proud boys.

GusGus O'ferrson

Follow the ( old, buried) brick road

One if the few childhood memories of the house I live in ( it belonged to my Great Uncle, whom we saw rarely) was a patch of brick road in the neighborhood. It was rare even thirty years ago, and the novelty stuck with me.
Long since paved over, a portion was uncovered during recent street work, and it was worth a quick picture.

Bitter Rain and the loss of a parent at the kid's school

 After I dropped the kids off at school I took the car in for some much needed repairs. Unable to find a ride home, I walked the mile and a half home. The walk wasn't the problem; that honor goes to the pouring rain, the wind and the bitter temperatures. I'm not saying it was the Frozen Chosin, but by the time I arrived home I was soaked to the core, and was so cold that when even as I type this my skin is 'burning' as it warms back up. Misery, sheer misery. What a gawdawful start to the daylight hours.

You know what, now that I've whined about a walk in the rain let me lend some perspective: on Monday the mother of a student at our kids school was murdered by her boyfriend, mere blocks from where her daughter sat in class. I can't imagine what that girl is going through, with an absent father and a mother cruelly taken from her in a mindless act of violence. Our prayers have been with her all week.

 So far in 2013: 21 books, 66 movies.

Dark Skies

Last night I watched "Dark Skies" a thriller/horror movie starring Keri Russell. I found it suspenseful and at times scary. It deserves better than this dull review, but I was up til four watching it and have been up and on the go since seven, so that'll have to do.

 I started the fantasy baseball season at 2-9-1, a RIDICULOUS result stemming from falling a single inning below the arbitrarily created 'minimum # of innings." Give my boys one more inning of work and we would have easily, *easily* taken 3 additional categories, and might have taken or tied a fourth - putting me at 5-5-2. Lesson learned: they're going to try and break The Danny by any means possible. From the ashes of your draconian, self-serving rules, The Slapjacks Shall Rise!

Stations of the Cross March 20th

The review of the Stations of the Cross? Hmm, not good I'm afraid.Smiley did well, carrying off the pivotal role of Simon with skill and emotional weight, but the rest of the cast was lackluster and divorced from the events they portrayed. Apparently Jesus falls only once, and then merely stumbles from that point on, and Mary didn't seem to care one bit about her son dying in front of her. The costumes were good, and Smiley's photo is on the cover of the program, but beyond that I'd grade the whole thing a D-. They ought to be grateful they are only 2nd graders, or it'd be a flat F. ;)

The Mustache Trio

Lord knows why, but a current fad for kids is to don fake mustaches. You can buy 'em just about anywhere now.
Here's three of my kids rocking the fad on February 10th.

 

A trip to the hardware store

With a painting chore at hand, Junie and I went to the hardware store in the old Sears on 14th and Forest Home to grab some supplies. 

 

Hero ( for a minute)

While we wait for the kids to complete their weekly dance lessons we often venture down the road to a thrift shop to pass the time.

On March 21st we took Junie with us before her class,and she fell in love with a rainbow colored stuffed bunny holding a basket containing two smaller animals.

Alas she put it down in the store and it for lost. Frantic searches for it failed to find it and she left in tears.
Something told me to go back inside and look again. A few minutes later I found it and received the biggest smile and hug a Daddy ever got.

I was her  hero, at least for the moment.